With an eye to China's ballistic missile arsenal, Japan has wanted its own ability to assemble long-range missiles, if needed.
He emphasized the importance of engaging countries like China and Russia, which still maintains nuclear missile arsenals.
The treaty would cut their nuclear missile arsenals by about 30 percent.
The meeting was held to pursue discussions about scaling back their intermediate-range ballistic missile arsenals in Europe.
It is currently being retired and was inaccurately predicted to have been removed from China's missile arsenal in 2002.
American officials say too many unanswered questions remain regarding both nuclear and missile arsenals to permit any serious move toward closing files.
Petrov, as an individual, was not in a position where he could have single-handedly launched any of the Soviet missile arsenal.
One area where Lummis doesn't want to see cuts is in America's nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal.
Both concurred that no political solution was possible unless North Korea's missile arsenal was killed.
Within thirty seconds the whole strategic missile arsenal of the Western world was thundering skyward.